Local Coach, Fighters to Represent U.S.

Mark Greubel is a former world champion kickboxer, he has built Greubel’s MMA into a great local business, and he has been churning out world champion kickboxers at a staggering rate. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that he has been selected to be the head coach for USA Kickboxing. Last December, Greubel expanded his business by adding a second location inside Evans Fitness Club. He says the partnership has been great.

“It has given us a chance to get our name out to an entire new set of people that may not have known about us.” said Greubel. The club is open to men, woman, and children, most of whom will never actually fight. So, whether you are looking to get in shape or just want to give mixed martial arts a try, there’s a place right in the heart of Evans.

MMA has had a meteoric rise in recent years, and Greubel’s has been riding that wave. The mainstream exposure of the sport, along with the world-class trainers Greubel has assembled, has earned Greubel’s MMA a tremendous reputation in the mixed martial arts world. When you produce 27 world kickboxing champions in a six-year span, that will tend to happen. Now, the next challenge for Greubel: Take Team USA to Sao Paulo, Brazil, for the kickboxing world championships. He will also be taking a few of his friends along, as six local fighters have made Team USA. This trip is not cheap, and unlike many other countries, Team USA is not government funded. That means for the next few weeks Greubel and his fighters will be trying to raise funds for the trip. This event is huge for the sport of kickboxing, says Greubel. “There will be 80 countries and 1,500 fighters in Brazil and the IOC (International Olympic Committee) will be there to monitor the event.” If the event goes well, kickboxing could be a test sport in the next Olympic Games.

In an effort to raise money and let people get to know the team members who will fight for Team USA, Greubel’s will be hosting a meet and greet this Thursday at 6 p.m. at Wild Wing Cafe. The fighters will be available to talk to fans and they will be doing demonstrations as well.

They will be accepting donations for the trip that night and are still looking for corporate sponsors. Another familiar name that will be on hand at Wild Wing Café is Ryan Bowers. Bowers, a former Greenbrier football standout and owner of AthElite Sports Training Academy, has recently started working with some of Greubel’s fighters.

AthElite is now housed inside Evans Fitness Club, and with Bowers specializing in training athletes, with a focus on speed, agility, and explosive movement, it made perfect sense to have the fighters go through some training sessions with Bowers.

“We have only done a few sessions so far, but they went great. I really think this could be a great partnership in the future,” said Bowers.

Here is a look at the local representatives for Team USA

Head coach: Mark Greubel. Former world kickboxing undefeated champion has trained 27 World Champions in the last 6 years

The fighters:

Steve Dement

• Will likely serve as captain for Team USA. Fought on Chuck Norris’ World Combat League

• Won bronze medal in 2011 WAKO Championships in Dublin, Ireland

Nathan Key

• Set world record by winning seven straight World Classic titles

• Former Lakeside High School football player

Kesha Springle

• Former college basketball player at Florida State

• Current IKF world champion

Bernard Richardson

• 14-4 Record and an IKF title, despite training only since 2006

Edgar Nickson

• WKO national champion and two-time IKF world champion

• Played prep sports at North Augusta High School

Adam Poore

• 2-Time IKF World Classic champion

• 2-Time WAKO Team USA member

If you would like to help out but cannot make it out to the event at Wild Wing Cafe, you can contact Greubel’s MMA at (706) 737-0911 or go online at www.greubelsmma.com